Vehicle-wheel.



NO- '7 86'581 PATBNTBD APR.. 4, 1905. J. F. MEDDLBTUN.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLmATloN FILED 1330.27, 1904.

Patented April 4, 19635..

UNiTsn STATES TATENT Grams.

JAMES F. MIDDLETON, OF PI'ITSFIIJLD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNGR OF ONE-HALF TO ELMER S. ROBISON, 0F PITTSFIELD, MASSACIlUSETrS.

SPECIFICATICN forming part of Letters Patent NO. 786,580, dated April 4, 1905. I Application led December Z7, 1904. Serial No. 238,397.

To {LZ/f 11171/0721, it Titfty concern:

Beit lrnown that I, JAMES F. MrDDLn'roN, al citizen of the United States, residing in Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of lvlassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Vehicle-'Vheels, ol which the following is a specilication.

My invention relates to vehicle-wheels, and particularly to that class of wheels in which the jar and liolt due to uneven roads are taken up in the wheel structure, thereby relieving the driving mechanism and other working' parts of the vehicle 'from practically all strains arising from vibrations originally transmitted through the wheels.

In carrying out my invention I employ, together with the hub and rim of the vehiclewheel, a series of spaced-apart radially-placed arms integral vwith or fixed in the hub, each of which may be provided with a reduced end portion providing ashoulder. I also employ a plurality oi' T-shaped members correspondingl in number with the number of said arms, the body portions of which are hollow and each adapted to lit over one of said arms and in which the arm is radially movable, each T member being also provided with a radial eX- tension adapted to engage and to be slidably movable on a suitable lug liXed in the rim of the wheel. I provide bars, one of each of which extends through the cross-arm oi a T member, and connections between the ends of each of said bars and the rim of the wheel, means for resisting a radial pressure against each of said radially-placed arms, means for resisting equal lateral pressures from opposite sides on each of the cross-arms of said T members, and adjustable means for varying the said lateral resistance.

In the drawings, Figure l is a general elevation and partial section of my improved vehicle-wheel. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of details oi' construction, and Fig. #l is an elevation of a modilied form or' my invention.

o represents the hub, and b the rim, of a vehicle-wheel, and according to my invention I provide the hub (t with a series of spacedapart radially-placed arms c, each preferably circular in cross-section and having a reduced end portion d, also preferably circular in 5o cross-section, at the intersection of each of which parts there is a shoulder.

e represents the T-shaped members, which in number correspond to the number of the radial arms c. Each T member comprises a hollow body portion 2, cross-arms 3, and a radial extension 4, and as the parts associated therewith are in all instances similar the further description will be made singular.

The hollow body portion 2 of the T mem- 6o vber is provided with a bore equal in diameter to that of the arms c and also with a reduced bore 5, equal in diameter to that of the reduced ends (l of the arms c. A. T member is employed in conjunction with eachof the arms c, the arm c entering the bore oi' the hollow body portion oi' the T member and the reduced end Z of the arm centering the reduced bore or' the T member, the arm c and reduced end Z thereof having bearings in the respec- 70 tive bores which they enter.

f represents a helical spring surrounding the reduced end (.Z or' the arm c within the hollow body portion 2 oi' the T member, and this spring has a bearing at one end against the shoulder formed by the reduced bore 5 and at the other end against the shoulder in the arm c formed by the reduced end (l. The radial extension i of the T member is preferably notched to span a suitable lug (i, lixed in 8G the rim 7;, which structure relieves the lateral and radial strain on the T member c and also guides the same in its movements.

The cross-arm 3 of the T member is provided with suitable bores ot equal diameter 35 extending from the ends thereoi to a central partition, through which cross-arm and partition a bar g passes centrally. The ends of the bar g are screw-threaded and are received in Iinteriorly-thremled apertures in the connecting members t, which are preferably angular and are secured to lugs 8, fixed on the rim 7; bybolts 9. Thisstructure is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and the bar f/ is preferably held in position in the connecting' mem- 95 bers /L by means of lock-nuts 7 or otherwise,

also employ a sleeve i, with a nut 10 integral therewith or bearing); thereon, ou cach screwthreaded end oil the bar y.

The diameter et' the sleeve yis the same as that et' the bores in the cross-arm 8, which bores the sleeves are adapted to enter, so as to center and steady the bar lr/. 1 are helical springs surroundingI the bar f/ within the cross-arn'is 3 on either side of the portion ber-- tween the bores therein, and the springs extend between the sides of this partition and the ends of the sleeves ff, by which latter it will be apparent that the tension on the springs may be variably adjusted, so as to overcome the thrust upon the rim at points spaced apart and between the radial extensions 4.

lt is believed that now it will also be apparent that the hub, axle, and parts associated therewith are movable radially in the hollow body portions 2. et' the 'i' members and also at right angles to said radial direction and in the plane of the wheels in the cross-arms ot' the "l" members through the bearing; between the arms c and the reduced ends thereof and the hollow body portions Q ot the 'i' members., whereby the vibrations are absorbed in the various spring members el the structure herein described and are not transmitted to the vehicle-body and the parts associated therewith, and itmay also be noted that the weight of the load is evenly distributed throughout the rim of the wheel.

lNit-h reference to Fig. i it will be understood to be within the nature and scope oli my invention to make the arm il o'l the .same

diameter throughoutand to provide the end of the body portion ol the "l" member with a suitable head il. and the arm d with a i'lange 12, corresponding to the head ll, and to employ a pneumatic or other cushion 13 surrounding the arm d and intervening between the head il and the flange l2. in this structurethe ends ot the cross-arm of the T member are also provided with heads 1st and the ends otl the coimecting,` members /i with llanees l5, between which parts l may employ pneun'iatio or other cushions 16.

l claim as my invention4 i. A vehicle-wheel comprising ahub.` a rim, arms eq ually spaced apart and extcndin from said hub, members corresponding in number with said arms, each of which is adapted to iit overene of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, means for resisting' a radial pressure on each et' said arms, and means whereby the hub is, relatively to the rim, also movable at right angles to said radial movement in the plane olf the wheel.

2. ,A vehicle-wheel comprising a hub, a rim, arms spaced ninety degrees apart and extending` radially from the hub, members corresponding in number with said arms, each of which adapted to lit over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, a sprinfzr` "/easeo 'For resisting` a radial pressure on each of said 6 5 arms, and means whereby the hub is, relatively tothe rim, also movable at right angles to said radial movement in the plane et' the wheel.

8. A vehicle-wheel, comprising ahub,a rim, a series olf radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality or i'sliaped members correspondingI in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member being adapted to tit over one et said arms in which the arm is movable radially, and means whereby the hub is, relatively to the rim, also movable at rie'htangles to the said radial movement in the plane of the wheel.

4r. A vehicle-wheel, comprising"ahub,arim, a series of radial arms extending from said hub and having` reduced end portions, a plurality ot' 'lf-shaped members, corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member beingy adapted to lit over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, means whereby the hub is, relatively to the rim. also movable at right ausles to the said radial movement in the plane of the wheel, and means for resisting a radial pressure on each or' said radial arms.

5. A vehicle-wheel comprising a hub, a. rim, a series et radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality of 'lf-shaped members corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion ot' each "l" member being; adapted to lit over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, means whereby the hub is, relatively to the rim, also movable at right angles to the said radial movement in the plane of the wheel, and a helical spring' surrounding,V the reduced end of each of said arms within the body portionot' said l member to resist radial pressure on the said arms.

6. A. vehicle-wheel comprisinga hub, a rim, a series oi radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality ci T-shaped members corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion of each "i" member being adapted to lit over one oi' said arms in which the arm is movable radially, bars, each of which passes centrally through a cross-arm of one ot' the l members at right angles with said radial arm, devices for connecting the ends of said bars to said rim, and means for resisting` pressures from opposite sides on the cross-arm of each of said members.

7. A vehicle-wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a series of radial arms extending' from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality of nl"sln1.ped members corresponding` in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member being adapted to iit over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, bars, each oi which passes centrally threi'lgh a eross-arm of one of the T members IOO IZO

at right angles With said radial arm, devices for connecting the ends of said bars to said rim, means for resisting pressures from opposite sides on the cross-bar of each oi said members, and means for guiding the movement of each of the said T members.

8. A vehicle-Wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a series of radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a pluralityof T-shaped members corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member being adapted to [it over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, bars, each of which passesl centrally through a cross-arm of one of the T members, lugs on said rim, connecting' members in which are secured the ends of the said bars, means for fixing said connecting members in said lugs, and means for resistingpressures from opposite sides on the cross-arm of. each of said T members.

9. Avehicle-Wheel,comprisinga hub, a rim, a series of radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality of T-shaped members corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member being adapted to fit over one of said arms in which the arm is movable radially, bars, each of which passes centrally through a cross-arm of one of the T members, lugs on said rim, connecting members in Which are secured the ends of the said bars, means for fixing said connecting members in said lugs, springs surrounding each of said bars and in the opposite ends of the cross-arm of each of the T members, and means for varying the tension of each of said springs.

lO. A vehicle-Wheel, comprising' a hub, a rim, a series of radial arms extending from said hub and having reduced end portions, a plurality of T-shaped members corresponding in number to the said arms, the body portion of each T member being adapted to iiiover one of said arms, in which the arm. is movable radially, bars having screw-threaded ends, each of which passes centrally through a crossarm of one of the T members, lugs on said rim, connecting members in which are secured the ends of the said bars, means for ixing said connecting members in said lugs, springs surrounding` each of said bars and in the opposite ends of the cross-arm of each of `the T members, and sleeves {itting over the screw-thread ed'ends of the said bars and bearing against the iast aforesaid springs to determine the tension thereof.

Signed by me this 19th day of December,

JAMES F. EHDDLETON.

Nitnessesr S. E. WEDDIFIELD, l Guo. F. YWRIGHT, Jr. 

